Lever and locking device



Jan; 11$, 1923. 11,442,592

C. E. YOUNGBERG. LEVER AND LOCKING DEVICE. FILED JULY 8. 1921.

Patented Jan. lb, 19.213.

barren stares CARL E. YOUNGBERG, 0F SEATTLE, VJASHINGTON.

LEVER AND LOCKING DEVICE.

. Application filed July 8, 1921.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, CARL E. YOUNGBERG, a citizen of the United States, residing at Seattle, in the county of King and State of Washington, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Lever and Looking Devices; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same. i

This invention relates to operating levers of the type which are normally held against movement with the load or members to be moved thereby and which are released for movement with the load or such members by their initial movement in the desired direction. The present invention is particularly directed to a locking device for such a lever which is moved into position to prevent the said initial releasing movement of the lever and thus hold it permanently in the position to which it has been moved.

The present invention is designed as an improvement upon that disclosed and claimed in the application of John A. Bergren, filed October 23rd, 1920, S. N. 418,973, and it is an object of this invention to equip such a lever structure, as shown in said application, with a simple and eflicient locking means.

The nature and advantages of the improvement will more fully appear from the following description made in connection with the accompanying drawing in which like reference characters refer to the same parts throughout the difierent views, and in which,

Fig. l is a view in front elevation of the device, the top or handle portion of the lever being shown detached for convenience of space;

Fig. is a view in side elevation of the dc vice as seen from the right of Fig. l, cer

tain parts being shown in section a-nd the.

handle portion of the lever omitted;

Fig. 1- is a partial detail view of the de vice;

Fig. l shows a. modified form of the ratchet bar used. in the device; and

Fig. 5 is a partial detail of such modification.

Referring to the drawings, an operating member 1 in the form of a lever is'disclosed, which is provided with a handle portion 1;,

Serial No. 483,1?8.

This lever is pivoted at a convenient point, as to the shaft or stud 2, and extends below the same a considerable distance. A load arm or member to be moved by the member 1 is shown as 3 and provided with a hub portion 3, which, in the embodiment of the invention illustrated, is pivoted to the same pivot member 2 closely adjacent the member 1. The member 3 projects some distance below the pivot and is formed at its lower end with an aperturcd lug 3 which may form a suitable connection for the load or the mechanism to be moved thereby. Above the lug 3 the member 3 has a projecting ledge forming two lugs 3 and 3 between which the lower end of the lever 1 projects and with the lug 3 of which it is normally in contact. A ratchet bar 4 of curved form having teeth P on its upper side, passes between the member 3 and the lower end of the member 1, the lower edge thereof being adjacent the lugs 3 and 3 The member 3, as shown in Fig. 3, is provided with a projecting boss 3 from which projects a pin 3*. This pin forms the pivot of pawl member 5 which is disposed adjacent the arm 3 and has a flat upper surface against which presses a coiled spring 6 housed in a recess formed in the member 3 immediately above the pawl. It will be noted that the portion of member 1 projecting below the pivot 2 is much thinner than the portion above said pivot and this portion moves closely adjacent to the front surface of the member 3. The pawl 5 is provided near its free end with a projecting pin 5 and the lower end of the member 1 is formed with a recess adjacent said pin having an inclined surface 1 along which the pin 5 is adapted to move when the lever is swung about pivot 2.

A member 7 comprising a flat and rather narrow strip of material is secured for sliding movement along the side of member I and endi through slots 7 The member 7 is provided at its upper end with a turned portion 7" forming an operat' handle therefor and is also provided with an iii-- tegral extension or flange Wontending across in contact with the front of member 1. above the pivot 2. The portion 7" is provided with two holes 7 and the arm 1 is also provided with an aperture 1 with which the holes T are arrangedto come into ahnement. The

held thereto by spaced screws 8 ermember 7 is formed with curved extension near its lower end to clear the front of the pawl 5 and at its lower extremity is formed with a thickened portion or head 7 which is adapted to more into the space between the lower end of member 7 and the lug 3 The rack or latch member 4L is shown as bolted at each end to a suitable support a by bolts 4:.

The operation of the device described is as follows:

The member 3 will represent the load arm or, member to be moved by the lever 1 and such lever will have a slight lost motion relative thereto owing to the space between the lower end thereof'and the lug 3, the member swinging about its pivot 2. The arm 2 is normally held from movement by the engagement. of pawl 5 with the teeth 4:, the pawl being urged into engagement with the teeth by the spring 6. With the ratchet bar shown, the lower end of the member 3 cannot be. moved to the right as the pawl will'bind in the teeth but the same can be swung to the left as the pawl will raise and drag over the teeth against. the resistance of spring 6. If the lever 1 be given a slight rotation to move its lower end into engagement with the lug 3, the cam surface 1 will. act upon pin 5, which pin will move upwardly along the cam surface and will thus raise the pawl out of engagement with the teeth at. The members 1 and 3 are thus released for movement along, the ratchet bar .4, such movement being to the right, as shown in Fig. 1. If" it be desired to. lock the lever 1 and member 3 in a 13OSl? tion to which they are moved, the member 7 will be slid downwardly so that the portion 7 e enters a space between the lower end of the lever. and lug 3. The lever 1 cannot nowbe given its initial movement relative to the member 3 to release pawl 5 and the lever and member 3 are thus positively locked in position; When the member 1 is in thislocking position the upper. hole 7 will register with the hole 1 and this member can be locked to member 1 by a lock being passed through these holes, or a key lock of the barrel type may. be mounted in member 1 so that the same willbe operated toengage the member '7 when the key is turned, thus locking. the members"? and 1 together. The member 7 could also be locked in its upper position by asimilar means when the lower of the holes 7 registers with the opening 1.

In the modification shown in Figs. 4; and 5, the structure of members 1 and 3 and the other parts is substantially the same as that described, except that a ratchet bar-9 is shown which is pivotally secured at only oneend by the bolts 9*. The loweredge of the bar 9 is formed with curved teeth 9 cooperating with similar teeth 10 formedon the lower edge of the member 3. The operation of the parts in this modification is similar to that already described for the parts shown in Figs. 1 and If desired, two ratchet bars l may be used, placed side by side and two pawls, eachpivoted to the member 3 will be used, one engaging each ratchet bar. These pawls would obviously beplaced in reversed position and arranged to be unlocked by the initial movement of thelever in either direction, the lever then being arranged to have a lost motion connection with member 3 which would permit a slightinitial movement in either'direction. Such a structure would be similar to that shown inthe application above identified.

From the above description it is seen that applicant has provided a simple and efficient locking means for a lever of the class described and which will be very effective for thepnrposes had in view; The lever could be used as a brake lever of an automobile and the machine, by the useoi the present invention, will thus be locked with the brake applied when the operator thereoi desires to leave the same. It will be obvious that the lever is of general application and could be adapted for many uses.

it will, of course, be understood that various changes may be made in the "form. details and arrangement of the parts without departing from the scope of applicants invention, which, generally stated, consists in the matter shown and described and set forth in the appendedclaims. V

What is claimed is;

1. In a device of the class described, an operating member, a member w movable thereby, said members having a lost motion connection therebetween permitting initial movement of said operating member relative to said othermember, means'normally holding said second mentioned member against movement, means operated by the initial movement of said operating member for rendering saidmeans inoperative, and a locking device for preventing the initial movement of said operating member and thus locking the members against movement.

2. device of the class described. having in coml'iination a lever, a member adapted to be moved thereby, means normally holding said member against movement in one direction adapted to be operated by the init .l moven'ient of the lever in said direction to release said member, and means for pre venting said initial movement ofthe lever whereby the lever and said .member are locked against movement.

3. In a device of the class described, having in combination a lever, a member adapted to be moved thereby, said lever and member having a lost motion connection permitting an initial movement of the lever relative to said member, means normally holding said member against movement adapted to be operated to release said member by the initial movement of the lever, and means mounted on the lever movable into position to prevent said initial movement thereof whereby the lever and member are looked in position.

4. A device of the class described having in combination a lever, a member adapted to be moved thereby, said lever and member having a lost motion connection comprising spaced lugs on said member between which a portion of said lever moves, a portion of the lever being normally spaced from one of said lugs, means normally holding said member against movement adapted to be released by the initial movement of said lever relative to said member, and a locking device slidably mounted on said lever having a portion adapted to be moved between the portion of the lever located between said lugs and one of said lugs.

5. A device of the class described having in combination a lever, a. member adapted to be moved thereby, said lever and member having a lost motion connection permitting an initial movement of said lever relative to said member, means normally holding said member against movement adapted to be released by the said initial movement of said lever, means for preventing initial movement of said lever to lock the same and said member against movement, and

means for locking said last mentioned means to said lever.

6. A device of the class described having in combination a lever member adapted to be moved thereby and having a lost motion connection therewith permitting slight initial movement of said lever, means normally holding said member against movement adapted to be operated to release said member by initial movement of the lever, said lost motion connection comprising spaced lugs on said member between which a portion of the lever is disposed, said portion being spaced from one of said lugs, and means for preventing said initial movement of the lever comprising a member slidable on said lever and movable between one of: said lugs, and a portion of the lever located therebetween, whereby the initial movement of said lever is prevented when the parts are locked in position.

7. A device of the class described having in combination, a lever, a member tulcrumed coaxially therewith and movable thereby, said lever and member being connected by a lost motion connection, means for normally preventing motion of said member adapted to be released by initial movement of said lever and means for preventing such. initial movement of said lever and thus locking the same and said member in position.

1n testimony whereof I afiiX my si nature.

CARL E. voUNeBTnee. 

